CRT vs TFT

I've been told I have Dry Eye Syndrome, ( definition ), one of the causes of which is VDU use. I can't avoid looking at a monitor of some description, but I was wondering if anyone knows whether a flat panel monitor has more, less or just different EMR emissions that a standard CRT monitor and if switching to one would be any better for my eyes?

The monitor I currently use most is a 17" Dell ES17 (a CRT), running at 1024x768x32-bit colour and 100Hz refresh rate, (I have an nVidia GeForce 3 Ti500 video card made by MSI). The card is new but I've had the monitor for four or five years now. I've been very happy with it, on the whole, but this news has made me wonder whether I'm due for a change. The price of flat screens has fallen to the point where they're now affordable, (though I'd have to go for a 15" as the 17" are still just too expensive), but I can't find any information comparing emissions.

Any help or opinions offered gratefully received.

Regards,

Steve

"A good friend will help you move; a really good friend will help you move a body"

Don't be put off by the size difference between your existing 17" CRT and a 15" LCD - those numbers are apples to oranges. You'll get a similar viewing space between the two since the 17" of the CRT includes the plastic housing border surrounding the viewable area, whereas LCD numbers only take into account the actual viewable space (imagine that). Sure, a 17" LCD would be better, but you'll still enjoy the benefits of a 15".

Re: CRT vs TFT

Re: CRT vs TFT

Keeley, I really don't see why a LCD screen would have any advantage over an CRT screen. In fact, I'd expect just the opposite. The pixels on an LCD screen have to receive a scanned signal just the same way the phospors on a CRT screen do. The only difference is the way they are activated, not the scanning process. As well, the viewing angle is narrower for a LCD screen so you'd be more likely to get eye strain. I suspect there's an ergonometric problem here in the placement of the monitor rather than the monitor itself.
Bruce

Re: CRT vs TFT

Bruce:

As I read the article I cited above on the basics of flat panel displays, although both technologies receive the same scanned signal, the fact that vastly different technology is used to activate two very different substances electrically has a great deal to do with why the qualities of the image on the two monitors are so, well, different.

There is a lot of debate as to the merits of LCDs as opposed to CRTs. If your point is that you don't see why and LCD screen would have any advantage for Steve over a CRT, that's one thing. As I mentioned in my first post, if Steve's condition is caused by UV radiation and that's the sole contributor to the existence of his condition, neither monitor is better than the other since neither emit any real amount of UV. If Steve's condition is exacerbated by general eye strain, the reason that an LCD monitor may be preferable because the digital signal used by LCDs results in a crisper image particularly in regards to text, which takes strain off the eyes trying to focus the text more clearly. It's true that viewable angle on LCDs are inferior to a CRTs, but he is currently using a CRT so viewable angle ergonomics should not be a factor in his current condition. Further, although refresh rates for CRTs have improved dramatically over recent years such that the flicker is now imperceptible, it's still there. LCD's do not have flicker issues due to the different technology, and thus many users report reduced eye strain on that basis.

The negatives of an LCD include generally poorer colour accuracy than a CRT, poorer performance in 3D gaming due to slower response time, fixed display resolution, and generally lower colour and brightness capability. Googling "LCD CRT difference" brings up a number of articles that I'm sure Steve will find helpful in making up his own mind.

Re: CRT vs TFT

Well, I was going to disagree with you about the viewing area of a 17" monitor in that my 32" television measured diagonally actually reads 32" however my so-called 17" CRT monitor actually measures 16" diagonally. What a wake-up call!

Re: CRT vs TFT

I've just switched from a 21" CRT to a 17" LCD and find an enormous improvement wrt what I took as eye strain at the end of the day. Reflection off the screen is practically negligible, and their seems a vast improvement in contrast and clarity.
Speed and colour accuracy are not an issue for me - I'm more than happy with the change.